Devotional Reflection Based on the Incident of Peter Cutting Off Malchus's Ear: “Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.” ( Mark 14:47, Today's Korean Version ) 1. Identifying the People Involved: The person who stood beside Jesus and drew the sword was Simon Peter . The servant of the high priest was named Malchus . “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.” ( John 18:10 ) 2. Jesus' Response to Peter's Action: (a) Jesus said: “Permit even this.” ( Luke 22:51, KJV: “Suffer ye thus far”; RSV: “No more of this” ) The Greek words clarify this: “ἕως τούτου” (“heōs toutou”) = “up to this point” or “even this” “ἐᾶτε” (“eate”) = “allow it,” “let it be,” “leave it alone” Therefore, Jesus is essentially saying: “Let them do what they are doing. Do not resist any further.” “If ...
God’s law, the Law (2) [Romans 7:24-25] Romans 7 is one of the most difficult chapters. The reason is because there is a lot of controversy over whether Romans 7 is the story of the Apostle Paul before he believed in Jesus or after he accepted Jesus. Personally, I believe Romans 7 is the story of Paul after he believed in Jesus. So, was Paul in Romans 7 a new believer or a man of growing faith? Look at 1 Corinthians 3:3 – “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” Here, the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the “fleshly” among them while writing a letter to the Corinthian church members, and the “fleshly” here refer to new believers in the Corinthian church. The Apostle Paul in Romans 7 wrote the letter to Rom...